WIRE Buzz: SDCC to be mostly pre-recorded; David Koepp posts his '90s era Spider-Man script; more

Not only is San Diego Comic-Con taking place entirely online in a few weeks due to the coronavirus, but now comes word that the majority of the panels won't be live.

An SDCC rep told The Wrap that nearly all of the 300 to 400 virtual panels set for the four-day confab taking place between July 23-26 will be pre-recorded by studios and networks and submitted ahead of the event.

Alas, the decision means no fan Q&As, though the spokesperson said various distributors and shows have contacted their social media followers to solicit questions in advance.

The rep added that it's possible there will still be "live elements to some programming," though what that is exactly remains a mystery.

In April, San Diego Comic-Con organizers made the tough decision to scrap this year's proceedings due to the pandemic, the first cancellation in its over half century history. Weeks later, a virtual edition was announced that will enable fans to still participate from the comfort of their own homes.   

A rep for Comic-Con wasn't available for comment, but an official schedule is set to be released this Thursday.

David Koepp has our Spidey senses tingling like it's 1999.

Hollywood's go-to scribe for blockbusters (Jurassic Park, Mission: Impossible, and more) has dropped a treat online for fans of your friendly neighborhood wall crawler — an August 1999 draft of the script he wrote for Sam Raimi's 2002 Spider-Man.

Credit: Sony Pictures

And given the three years gap between this '90s era version, titled The Amazing Spider-Man and the hit film that spun a delightful web with moviegoers, quite a lot changed in the writing process, according to CBR, beyond the planned death for Gwen Stacy.

While Koepp kept some elements of James Cameron's original treatment for Spider-Man, such as the idea that Peter Parker's web slinging abilities were genetic instead of a wrist-wearing device he designed, the big difference is the villain. Instead of the Green Goblin, Parker's nemesis from Raimi's movie, the 1999 script focused on Electro, who sought to enlist Spider-Man in his villainy, even going so far as to get J. Jonah Jameson to smear him in the Daily Bugle. Other notable changes: Sandman, whom Raimi used as one of the foes in Spider-Man 3, shows up here as a bodyguard for Electro, while the climactic battle between Spidey and Electro takes place at the World Trade Center.

And of course, the screenplay is littered with lots of '90s references — everything from a nod to eBay when Peter tries to help Aunt May make some quick cash, to MJ listening to Nirvana. As for the one memorable Koepp moment that did make the Raimi cut? It was Spidey kissing MJ while hanging upside down, though in the earlier version he reveals his true identity to her.

For more tidbits, check out Koepp's 1999 script here.

If you're a filmmaker stuck in quarantine, might as well use what you got.

And Tyler Christensen, the writer-director behind 2016's House of Purgatory, has done just that with his creepy new short, Renovation.

Shot on the iPhone while secluding at home, Christiansen's short centers around a man remodeling his condo only to find something spooky in the house.

Christensen made his feature helming debut on House of Purgatory, a haunted house flick starring Anne Leighton (Grimm) and Brian Krause (Charmed) which is available to stream on Amazon Prime.